The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-20
THE STAGE.

an ovation ms that accorded Mr. Wilson i,arrett
and "Claudan" atthe New National last Monday
evening. Washington audience, uniformly.
is courteous but critical. When, us in this in-
stance, wcll-accrUlited stranger comes among
them, OF whom they have heard nothing but
praise, he Is apt to be extended ready hand of
friendly greeting at hts cntrcc, but has thereafter
TO establish his footing upon the solid ground.
work of merit TO win anything further. The
Washington theatre-gccr, not always strictly
apostolic In other ways, at least is disposed to
try all things aud hold fast only that which is
good. Mr.. Barrett very undcniably possesses
what is known as u presence" and one that is
not likely to be regarded other than with pleas
uro and respect This. with the agreeable prcpos-
session of the audience toward the manly young
English actor gained him the tribute Of q warmly
welcoming applause when he came gracefully
aud with dignity upon the stage In the first act.
by the fall of the curtain the applause was
thunderstorm, and at the end Of the act ensuing
he was recalled half dozen times or SO. amid
hearty cheers and demands for speech, to which
he responded in n few admirably chosen and
spoken words that cencntcd the good terms he had
already so thoroughly established with his hearers
On the whole. this is as crcditabc to the good
taste of the latter to Mr. Barrett and hts open
ing play. For his methods, In their simplicity,
drectness, and refinement, differ lust ms widely
from the conventional rant and tustinn ms this
striking drama of Messrs Herman and Wills
authorship. In motive and execution it is on II
plane OF exalted pocsv lifted out of and above
the walks of ordinary human experience and
cndcuvor. This doomed and solitary figure con
demncd through centuries of suffering to drug
the chain of undying youth amid the scenes of
blight wrought by his very efforts to cxpiatc and
atone, Is conception thut might too readily fail,
through any error of treatment or presentation,
to reach the sympathies of the average audience.
That the very reverse was the case speaks vol
umcs, as we have said, for actors, authors. and
audience. Mr. Barrett brings TO the tragic
boards graceful and we'll knit figure, II bearing
easy or impressive, as the occasion demands, II
| fine head nobly set upon u massive and columnar
neck, and II face mt once sensitive auc strong.
His voice, u little too stuccdfo sometimes in it's
phrases Is deep full. and vibrant In moments of
emotion with n subtle sympathy. To these cx-
cellcut physical advantages II is evident that he
adds power of identification with the character
and the scene as intense and feeling rs II is Just
and intelligent. The result is the attainment OF
the strongest effects by means wonderfully uuict
and natural. And thus the play throughout be-
comes II beautifully perfect and artistic entity no
| part whereof but is in due proportion and SUBJ
| ordination to the whole. No dazzling outbursts
of the "stur" amid the dull opacity of the
| support" no scenery that wins applause
| ut the expense of the sCcnc no diamonds
| or dresses that make you forget the
dcnoucmcnt, no obtrudcd "spccialties" while
the situation" stands waiting. Instead the
beautiful pictures of the golden Bosphorus
sleeping in the sunshine, or the plying moor
light pouring the flood of Its bamy i1idiance upon
the gaping wounds of the earthquake, the stately
Byzantine buildings, the carefully archaeological
costumes, the passing crowds, the naturally
| grouped tablcauN, arc but the background for
the action of the play, and that action is even,
so symmetrical wcll modulnted and consid-
| cred in every detail with view to the general Of.
\ A..
act do you realize how complete the spell and the
illusion have been. This is true art and the act
ors. like Henry Irving and Wilson Barrett, who
, can so contrive aud harmonic all things in their
just relation. are the true artists of the stage.
Miss Eastlakc gave very touching portrayal of
| the pathetic role of the blind Almtdd, and the
Misses Bclmore were altogether effective in char
acters us widely contrasted MS the MUSES. of Trng-
edy and Comedy themselves. The interest of
''Claudan" centres so powerfully in the title part
that 1t would be impossible to say which of the
subordinate roles contributed the most agree
able and harmonious semi-toncs to the color
scheme of the finished composition. You could
only carry away with you the novel and ut first
bcwiidering impression of the general effect
| You did not care to analyze 1t. You only knew
that 1t was art and that it was admirable.
On Tuesday night Cidudlidn was repeated to a
fury of enthusiasm more remarkable than that
of Monday, and Mr.. Barrett was again induced
III VI ME CleNeT anu ell
gagng little speeches. which his audiences seem
to consider an essential feature of each per-
fornancc, and wherein he always acquts himself
just as easily and well. On Wednesday, In the
presence of one OF the vastcst and most distin-
guished gatherings OF the winter. he cssnycd the
crucial role of the actor. the rerdta qurstio
of the critics. and too often the bete
noir of the audience, Hamlet In reality
there are as many Hamlets as actors,
or, for that matter, as men. Every thinking and
reasoning man has. nay, perhaps is his own
Hamlet, and opinions must differ accordingly.
So much has been said and written. and mostly
to so little purpose of this rendition of Mr.. Bar
rett's that perhaps IL will be sufficient to remark
that 1t Is rs consistent as 1t is original. II is
, no metaphysical abstraction, but Il common
sense, tcsh.and- blood Hamlet that he gives u.s. II
fine young fellow of twenty. full of true nobility
of nature. high impulse and honorable motive.
> returning from his happy student life to be con.
fronted with the murderous mysteries of his fate
!, Such rs he has conceived it, Mr.. Barrett plays
! it, vigorously, ntelligently, and well, and
those who do not adopt cannot but
respect his Interpretation. The Ophelid of Mis-
$ Eastlake was characterized by even more than
! the insight and charm of her initial appearance
On Thursday evening Mr.. Barrett returned
with us to classic ground in 'Clito,"
Q drama scarcely less powerful md oripina
in its motive, development and mora
y than "Claudian.' If possible the stage pcture
l. 1t presented, the mobiles, artists priests, and popu
!, lace of ancient Athens, the Acropolis and tn,
- Parthenon, the long walls and Pireus, and tn,
blue IEgcan cleaning IN the distance, were cyei
: more beautiful and striking. As before, how
q ever. SO well ordered was II all that one though
II of them not as pictures but rs the real atmos
= phere of the drama, the time and place them
u selves. In "Clito" Miss Eastlakc has the oppor
;, tunity and right nobly improves it to show her
's self an actress of the first rank Hts, beautiful
a as Phryne before her judges. fascinating u
y Aspasia, but cold, cruel, and venal buse. trcac
T. crous, and cowardly, courtesan to the core, sue
" Is the character whose detestable life and fright
=, full death Miss Eastlahe portrays I'm one of tn
t. most intense and thrilling assumptions of th
stage. Saturday night, with the versatile abiitic
IA of this admirable actor and his fine company
IL displayed in the tragic story of the unfortunat
ChattertOn, "A Clerical Error" and 1.-The Colo
s. Sergeant" closed week which In view of Il,
$ important position of Mr. Barrett and his wOr
~ in the artistic development of the modern dram
IN may well be looked upon in the light of an even
q ,..,.. -. ..,., :. ,...... ,.,.,
4. Iacobowski's altogether charming little oper
to OF "Erninie," which seems likely to celebrate II
anniversary at the New York Casino. has bee
'c listened to this week by large and delighted aud
is ences at Albaugh's. The reasons for It's ph,
~ nomenal success even at the home of long run
ic operas ure not far to seek. The music, full {
ic fresh and delicious motives Is welded to lbrctt
- hDpNIullR uIlu VIII HeACeHIlDi
~ ally bright and witty dialogue while the opport,
, mites for the display of pretty faces and figure
ii magnificent costumes, and beautiful scenery al
all that the sumptuOusly oriental taste of til
Ut ArOnsOn management could desire In all of thcs
particulars the rendition of "Erminie" ut A
baughs compares most favoraby with the orig
nal article still on exhibition at the gorgeous litt
mosque at the corner of broadway and Fo
tieth street. from the facsimile of Mr.. Hoyt
ie shrimp-pink, palatin interior, in the
- ond act TO funny little Fred Solomon, who nlmp
', " cifaces the mirthfu memory of Francis Wilson
~, the role Of Cddcdur. The fun-making of the pec
~, indeed, rests largely upon the diminutive shou
n ders of this exhaustingly comic little gentleman
or but he Is more than equal to the cmergcnc!
ic There is absolutely no limit to his magazine
- g,iInnce and mOnkcyshinc, aud the house Is In
cS broad grin or II continuous ronr nl the while
n IL on the stage. Mr.. Dabol IL the original In th
Is, country of Rdrcnnes, the Robert Mdc0ire,
W Cdiedur is the JACK StrOD Of the play, and HI
IL lost none Of his inimitabe swagger and brayud
u, The grotpEuup song and dance ms indeed nil N